Friday, October 4, 2024
Hawaii Daily News Read

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, October 19, 2009
October 19, 2009 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 12:19 PM :: 9844 Views

Democrat Borreca plays "Furlough blame game"

So she is watching Hawaii's leaders closely for their response to Furlough Fridays, a budget-cutting plan that is shaping up as a political disaster.

Shutting the schools 17 Fridays this year and an additional 24 Fridays in 2010 has set off a new round of worry for political and community leaders.

"There is a widespread feeling of outrage waiting to be mobilized," said James Koshiba, one of the founders of (Democrat/Union front group) Kanu Hawaii, a community improvement organization.

(RELATED: Kanu Hawaii calls for tax increases, raid on Hurricane Fund:  http://www.kanuhawaii.org/today/article/?id=1255469684255188)

Beyond the finger-pointing, a solution remains elusive.

"I don't think there is anyone who would say they don't want to do something, but the question is, What are we going to do?" said Hanabusa. "You can't address this problem without money."

Sen. Norman Sakamoto, Education Committee chairman, says he has been quietly sounding out fellow Democrats to see whether they are willing to return before the start of the 2010 Legislature in January to fund the furlough days and keep the teachers in the classroom.

"Unless the governor proposes a specific dollar amount, it will be difficult for us to come back before the regular session," he added.

(OK.  Here's a simple solution.  The Legislature should enact a law making every DoE school a Charter school.  That will solve this entire problem in one stroke without raising taxes.)

RELATED: Hawaii budget crisis: Adult Supervision vs Team Chaos, Furloughs vs Layoffs: The union no-solution strategy

read more

Parents weigh furlough options as 1st day approaches

With the first furlough of public school teachers set for this Friday, many community child care programs are reporting heavy interest from parents...

(Yet all of them report still having openings.  So interest is not as heavy as the Advertiser have you believe.)

Both Kamaaina Kids and YMCA of Honolulu, the largest providers of after school child care in the state and now the two most prominent organizations with Furlough Friday programs, said enrollment has been steady since their programs were announced. Still, officials with both programs expect there will be space available on Friday, the first scheduled furlough day.

Meanwhile, some smaller furlough-related educational programs are filling up. Diamond Head Theatre said it is full for the fall semester. Bishop Museum said it is full for the first furlough day.

(Why attempt to make it appear as if there were a huge scramble for furlough Fridays?  Simple. To pressure the legislature to increase taxes and raid the Hurricane Fund to feed the venal and disgusting DoE.)

RELATED: Hawaii budget crisis: Adult Supervision vs Team Chaos, Furloughs vs Layoffs: The union no-solution strategy

read more

Waikiki retailers hurt by tourism slump

Hawaii retailers have been feeling the slump in tourism — with the average daily spending by Hawaii's biggest visitor market down about 17 percent from last year.

read more

Maui News Poll: What should the state water commission decide about the waters of Na Wai Eha?

(It sure is easy to give away some one else's water.)

read more

Hamakua land sale draws protest

A couple of dozen people seek a way for the government to keep land away from productive uses by private owners.  They claim to be defending agriculture.  Only about 4% of Hawaii land is in the hands of individual private owners.  The rest is divided between large trusts and government.

read more

ADV: Kauai green energy efforts show promise

The cult at work: All you have to do is PROPOSE a "environmental" project and suddenly the Advertiser editorial board is cheering you on and trying to put all the pieces together.  Maybe the promoters should get cane production commitments first, eh?

read more

Timeshare: Consultant lashes back at attempt to ‘silence criticism’

“The idea of paying an annual maintenance fee equal to what we currently pay at Marriott’s Kaua‘i Beach Villas in Lihu‘e doesn’t go down very well,” said John Palshaw, who has owned a timeshare for 11 years at The Point at Po‘ipu. “The differences in services available, in pool quality and in beach availability represent a huge disparity ... making it very hard to justify a $1,400 annual fee at The Point.”

Fees doubled from $695 in 2001 to more than $1,400 per week in 2009. Owners have been outspoken about their concerns regarding the elevated prices and feeling powerless when it comes to maintenance and management fees, as the majority of Vacation Owners Association and Association of Apartment Owners board members are employees of Diamond Resorts International.

read more

Weather system south of Islands now tropical storm Neki

The National Weather Service says the storm is about 825 miles south of Honolulu and moving west-northwest at about 14 mph. Neki has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

The storm is expected to intensify today and into the night before becoming a hurricane tomorrow.

 

IMAGE: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/loop-wv.html

RELATED: As the Storm Fronts Line Up Off Shore, Residents are Asking if Oahu is Ready for a Hurricane , Hurricane Shelters: Hawaii Still Counting on a Lucky Miss

read more

Website to post 35-page complaint against longshot gubernatorial candidate

Please stay tuned for this week's online posting of the official multi-count, 35-page complaint which will shortly be submitted to the State of Hawaii's Campaign Spending Commission....  Several hundred pages of exhibits, including internal campaign e-mails, only begin to tell the sordid tale of fraudulent campaign finance reporting and practices by Citizens for Carroll, a registered candidate committee.

read more


Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii